1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automotive safety. More specifically, the present invention relates to turning loop covers with energy-absorbing characteristics.
2. Technical Background
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 1999 over 32,000 automobile occupant fatalities occurred in the United States. While these numbers are unacceptably high, the NHTSA estimated that more than 12,500 lives were saved from potentially fatal car accidents by seatbelts and airbags usage. With the apparent success of seatbelts and airbags, the United States government and the automobile industry have sought to improve current automobile safety features as well as introduce new safety devices.
A basic safety feature of automobiles is the seat belt. Seat belts are located in every seating position of an automobile to restrain the occupants during impacts and sudden movements. In order to allow for maximum restraint of automobile occupants, outboard seating positions have a shoulder belt to provide restraint for the occupant's upper body. Even seat belts located in middle seats are increasingly using shoulder belts. The combination of lap and shoulder belts limit the motion of the automobile occupants and prevents them from being ejected from the automobile or impacting the dashboard or the back to forwardly located seats.
The lap and shoulder belts are typically a single belt with three anchor locations. The first anchor location is often the end of the fabric belt that is anchored to the floor or other automobile structure. From the first anchor point, the belt lays across the occupant's lap where the belt is slidably anchored by a latch plate that is removably connected to a buckle. The buckle is anchored to the automobile structure. From the second anchor location, the latch plate redirects the belt across the occupants shoulder and through a turning loop.
The turning loop functions to guide the belt from over the shoulder of the occupant, down to the third anchor location. The third anchor location is typically a retractable seat belt storage device that retracts the slack of the belt as well as anchors the belt to the automobile structure. This type of seatbelt system helps prevent the occupant from being thrown from the automobile and limits the motion of the occupant within the automobile. However, because the turning loop guides the seatbelt as is lays across the occupant's shoulder, it is also in a position to be struck by the occupant's head. This can injure the occupant because of the rigid material that comprises the turning loop and the fastener.
In order to mitigate possible injury that could be caused by a head impacting the turning loop and fastener, turning loop covers have been created to limit the amount of injury that may be caused by the turning loop. The turning loop cover is typically a plastic cover that is placed over the turning loop and the fastener to limit injury to the occupant. It is designed to disperse the energy of an automobile occupant's head propelled toward a turning loop, as might occur in an automobile accident.
A turning loop cover encloses the turning loop and the fastener. Turning loop covers may also incorporate energy-absorbing members that are capable of absorbing a portion of the kinetic energy of the occupant's head, thus limiting the injury to the occupant. Energy absorption can be accomplished though a large number of devices that are capable of being placed in a turning loop cover. In general, compression and torsional energy-absorbing members are most apt for turning loop cover applications because of the type of compression impacts that are expected on turning loops. Some examples of energy-absorbing devices are springs, bellows, buckling ribs, deflection walls, and flexing brackets for compressive force attenuation and bellows, bending turning loops, and rubber filled covers for bending forces.
These energy-absorbing members require a method of coupling the turning loop cover and energy-absorbing member to the turning loop and the fastener. Several problems exist in fastening a turning loop cover to a turning loop and fastener. One problem is that the energy absorbing members often dictate the shape and size of the turning loop cover. This makes modifications difficult and expensive. It would be desirable to easily introduce new designs of energy-absorbing members without significantly changing the turning loop cover.
Another problem with current turning loop cover designs is the difficulty of assembling the components and the associated assembly costs. Presently, many turning loop covers require complex and time consuming processes for installation of the cover. In some turning loop cover designs, the turning loop cover must be installed at the same time as the fastener. Thus, it is necessary to preassemble the turning loop cover, the turning loop, and the fastener. This requires additional unnecessary steps in the assembly process which increases assembly cost and assembly time. Further, the preassembled turning loop cover must maintain the proper configuration throughout assembly. The assembler must hold the fastener and turning loop cover configurations while trying to fasten the fastener to the automobile structure. Alternatively, the assembly process may require a jig to maintain the preassembled configurations. A jig would introduce further costs and steps.
Additionally, current turning loop cover designs also have difficulties with cover replacement. If special tools are required for assembly, these tools will also be required for replacement of the turning loop cover. The necessity for the tools will limit the number of locations that can service and repair what should be a relatively simple component. Further, the complexity of assembling the fastener and the turning loop to the automobile structure may allow for assembly errors.
Furthermore, some designs do not securely attach the turning loop cover to the turning loop and fastener. The turning loop cover may have a degree of tolerance whereby it may shift around the turning loop and fastener. The unsecure attachment may cause the turning loop cover to rattle as the automobile is in motion, causing an annoyance and distraction to the automobile occupants. Even more serious, if the turning loop cover is not properly aligned to the turning loop and fastener, the energy absorbing member of the turning loop cover may not correctly align. A misalignment could prevent the energy absorbing members from dispersing the energy of an occupant's head, resulting in increased injury to the occupant.
Accordingly, a need exists for a turning loop cover that can be assembled quickly and cost effectively. There is also a need for a turning loop cover that is capable of being assembled independently of the turning loop and fastener. The turning loop cover should also be capable of securely attaching to the turning loop and fastener to eliminate rattling and incorrect alignment.